Clutch device



y 1950 F. E. MINER 2,506,935

CLUTCH DEVICE Filed v 194'! 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVEN TOR.

F. E. MINER CLUTCH DEVICE May 9, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 1, 1947 IN VEN TOR.

. Q I 9 WM A Ill Patented May 9, 1950 STATES P.

TENT OFFICE 8 Claims.- 1.

inventicn relates. to: a clutchdevi'ce and more-particularly to the type whichis utilized to cooperate with a; flexible endless member; such as abeltorcable or the=1ike.

Onecf the essential' obiects oftlii's invention is lie-providea; novel; compactand durable' clutch device arranged to have clasping or driving engagement'with an endless member and wherein such engagement is readily releasable.

Another object of this-invention is to provide such a clutch device" whichis rotary and carries the endless-member normally'in adriving relation on" its outer or" peripheral; part"; but iseasily operableto release the driving grasp onthemember-a-nd" then carry themember in an idleposition.

Anotherobject of" this invention'is to provide a-- clutch devicec'ontaining several coacting drivingparts wherein the operative or" clasping connection between such paits and theengaged" endlessmember ismaintained under normal Operativeconditions; but is readily released by'tilting one of said parts on the other by a simple-manipula'tiona A- more' particular objectof'thisinvention is to provide such a clutch device by utilizing two compan-icnmembers which normally rotate together with their axes" of rotation alined and clasping a belt operative'ly: by. their outer 01" peripheral parts; and wherein" one of said members is tiltablerelative to" the other. torelease the driving grasp on the belt and at. the same time to enable the latter. tmove into an idle; or inoperative position.

A further" Object? of this invention is to provi'de Such a clutch device wherein the driving connection between the clutch: and-the belt is normally. maintained; but can be readily-"broken manual operatiomand such driving connection. will? be automatically resumed as: soon as said breaking: operation. is: releasede These: various other objects and: advantages are attained with this: invention, as: will become apparent from the following: description,

takeniruconnection;with'the accompanyingtdrawings: wherein: the; invention, is shown 1 in; a:- few' of the pref-en ed forms; in being evidentthat other arrangements and? forms of construction. may be resorted to in: carrying out? the' objectsand purposes of this; invention.v

In. the drawings? Fig; l is? an end; elevationa'll view of. the.- clutch device, shown in the preferred: form of" construction.

Fig.- 2 isa centraii sectional View? thereon on.

2. its? axis of rotatiomshowing: it in the operative position.

Fig. 3 is: a similar. view;-v but: in its idle position. Fig; 4i is a plan'view illustrating,apra-ctical: ap-

- plication' of: this; clutch device, showing its: op-

erative position full lines.

Fig. 5 is a central: sectional; view thru" the rotary axis of awmodifi'ed form' oithe clutch device, showing it: in: the operative position- Fig; 6- is a similarrsectionalivi'ew of this form, but in the idle: position.

Fig; 7 is an end viewiot-thisform;

Inthe construction illustrated in'the drawings, in-both of: the: forms presented therein, my novel clutch device shown as being-more particularly arranged. for use iHiCOIlHGCtiOHLWit-h: an. endless member which is substantially inithe' form of'a f-shapedzbeltg and. so: as to'clasp'thesame, and function therewith during operation; but this-device is: likewise adapted-for.- use withiother-forms of endless means;

In the: formxof. construction as shown: in Figs. 1' to? v 4 the clutch: device 1 comprises two cooperating; parts or members, It: and Hg, the; member Hl: being. mounted. around" an operating shaft l2 ,..wh'ereto*itt is secured with its hub: l3;by means of. azset. screw [4: and bykey and slot means [5, so as to: rotate. therewith. The member, H is connected; with: member- Hl; so as to be rotary therewith but to be yieldably and;tiltab1yjoined thereto"; and thisis: conveniently accomplished by the-use of bolts on elements It extending. thru openings provided.in;the-members Hi and H, as shownjn. the drawings... springs H being provided on said; bolts for'yieldablfy: but: firmly retaining said members H1 and H" close together in the operativeposition Securing nuts l8: on the ends of said bolts are adjustable thereon, and allow-for adjustment of". the: spring; tension;

Theendl'ess flexible means is herein is shown in the A formt Of". an, V-shaped; belt, andthe" clutch members it and: H" arethereioreprovidedwith beveled portions 20? andM ontheir outer or peripheral parts, so arranged as to engage or clasp thebelt Wnormally therebetweerr in driving relation. as; indicated in Fig. 2 of; the drawings. 'Ilhese members [Band H are substantial-lydiscshaped-on their mainouter parts, around their central hub- 13-; and thereby idling elements or rollers22 can be conveniently mounted rotary on the bolts i6, OlltWEtIdtOfa said. hub, adapted to receive thebelt its thereon in the idlingor inoperative position. as shown in Fig; of the drawings;

The means. provided. hereinfor moving the clutch device from its operative to its inoperative position includes a control shaft or stem 24 which extends from an opening 25 provided centrally in member i, and which has an actuating or tilting head 26 on its inner end, seated in a notch or pocket 2'! provided at the end of hub i3, so as to fit snugly therein during operation of the device, as shown in Fig. 2.

It may be noted that in the driving or operating position this control shaft or stem 24 is alined longitudinally with the operating shaft l2, so that the two shafts along with the members l and H thereon then have their axes of rotation in alinement; while during this time the springs hold the beveled outer parts 2|! and 2| of said members firmly in clasping or operative engagement with the belt I9.

In order to move this clutch device from the operative position, as seen in Fig. 2, to the inoperative position, as seen in Fig. 3, it is merely necessary to actuate the control stem 24 to a tilting position, so that its head 26 is tilted in the pocket 2'! and thereby forces the belt-clasping beveled part 2| of member outwardly away from the part 20 on member l8, and thereby releases the clasping engagement on the belt, as shown in Fig. 3. By this action the belt is enabled to move onto the idlers or rollers 22, into its idle position, and let them rotate underneath the belt while the belt remains inoperative.

t may also be noted that herein, as soon as the tilting stress on the stem 24 is released, the springs I! will automatically force the beveled parts 2|! and 2| toward one another into clasping or operative relation with the belt.

In Fig. 4 a practical application of this clutch device is shown. Therein the clutch member In with the operating shaft l2 are shown as the drive 1 member and the drive shaft, respectively, being driven by a suitable power supplying means or motor 3|. The device is indicated as driving, tlnu the belt i9, a pulley 32 adapted to actuate, thru its shaft 33, any suitable mechanism housed in the casing 34. A link 35 has one end connected to the outer end of the stem 24, preferably so as to allow for rotation of the stem therein, while a control lever 36 is indicated herein as mounted on the casing 34, whereby to actuate the link and tilt the stem to move the clutch device into the inoperative position.

It will be apparent that such driving arrangement may likewise be reversed, to have the drive shaft or any suitable driving means connected to the pulley 32; while this clutch device is then connected with some driven means in place of the driving motor 3|, whereby the shaft I2 and the clutch member ID then become the driven members.

This invention is readily adapted to be provided in various forms and modifications, and in Figs. 5, 6 and '7 one such modified form is shown. This form, like the preceding one, comprises an operating part or member 40 and the companion part 4|. Part 40 herein also has its hub 43 secured by a set screw 44 to the operating shaft 42, like in the above described form. Bolts 45 extend thru openings in the disc-like part of member 48 and extend into the companion member 4|, but the latter is substantially pulley-shaped and contains both beveled peripheral or outer portions 4| for receiving the V-shaped belt therebetween during operation of the device. Springs 41 on bolts 45 also serve to urge the clutch members normally into their operative position. However, the idling means herein is in the shape of a flanged member or idling pulley 52 mounted at the outward side of clutch member 4|, being preferably mounted rotary on a boss 53 provided on the control shaft or stem 54 which has its inner end secured centrally in member 4|.

It will appear evident that in this form, like in the preceding form of the invention, the operating shaft 42 with its clutch member 40 fixed thereon are positioned to have the axes of rotation alined with the axes of rotation of the control shaft or stem 54 and the clutch member 4| fixed on the stem, while in the operative position; and that by actuating and tilting said stem 54 the clutch member 4| may be tilted, and therewith the flanged idler 52, into an inoperative position, so as to facilitate and enable movement of the belt from clutch member 4| onto the flanged idler 52, as indicated in Fig. 6 of the drawings. Such outwardly sliding release movement of the belt is facilitated by the traveling belt and the rotation of member 4| while its belt-engaging portion is tilted outwardly, as is well known in this art. When the tilting force on the control stem is released, the springs 41 will automatically return the clutch parts and idler to the operative position, with the shafts and parts again in axialalinernent, and the belt is then enabled to move back from the idler 52 onto member 4| in the operative position.

In either of these forms the readily manipulated tilting action of the control stem tilts the associated controlled part of the clutch 4|), relative to the operating part thereof 0, 4D); and thereby enables and provides for the release iovement of the belt, from the clasped operative position to the inoperative position on the idler.

This construction, in either of its forms, thus provides a readily actuated and also durable and inexpensive clutch mechanism of the pulley-type for coaction with flexible endless means, as a belt or the like, to have driving engagement therewith normally but to be easily releasable therefrom.

I claim:

1. In a clutch device constructed for carrying endless flexible means thereon, the improvement which comprises a driving clutch part and a driven clutch part which normally coact to have driving engagement with the flexible means during operation of the device, means mounting said parts to have their axes of rotation alined while ccacting with the flexible means, idling means on said device for receiving the flexible means while the latter and the parts are out of driving relation, and means operable for tilting one of said clutch parts out of axial alinement with the other part, to transfer said flexible means from its driving position on said parts to said idling means.

2. In a clutch device of the type described, a pair of rotary companion members and. means for mounting them to have their axes of rotation alined and to have driving engagement with endless flexible means during operation of the device, idling means cooperating with said members, and control means operable for tilting one of said members relative to the other member to release the driving connection thereof with the flexible means and facilitate movement of the latter from its operative position onto said idling means, the construction being arranged and positioned so that when the control means is released said flexible means will automatically return from the idling means to the operative position on said members.

3. In a device of the type described, a pair of rotary members and means for mounting them with their axes of rotation alined and adapted to grasp a belt operably between their peripheral portions, idling means carried by one Of said members, and means operable for tilting one of the members on the other and separate their beltgrasping portions, whereby to release their grasp on the belt and at the same time facilitate its movement from said grasping portions into its inoperative position on the idling means.

4. In a device of the type described, a pair of substantially disc-like members and a shaft connected with each member and providing an axis of rotation for the member, elements operably connecting said members for normally holding them yieldably together with their axes of rotation alined and their outer portions adapted to grasp a belt operatively therebetween, idling means mounted rotatively on said elements to receive the belt in its inoperative position, and control means including one of said shafts arranged for tilting this shaft and its connected member relative to the other member, whereby to release the grasping engagement of said members with said belt and facilitate its movement from their outer portions onto the idling means.

5. In a device of the class described, a pair of substantially disc-like members, a pair of shafts one connected with each of said members and providing an axis of rotation therefor, elements extending thru said members and having resilient means thereon to normally retain said members in the operative position and their axes of rotation alined, with the outer portions of said members arranged to grasp a belt therebetween, idling rollers mounted on said elements between said members, and means including one of said shafts operable for tilting this shaft and its connected member relative to the other shaft and member, whereby to release the grasping engagement of said members with the belt and enable the latter to move from said outer grasping portions onto said idling rollers.

6. In a clutch device of the type described, a

pair of cooperating members and means for mounting them to rotate together, means normally retaining them close together with their axes of rotation alined, one of said members being substantially pulley-shaped arranged to carry a belt in driving engagement thereon, idling means on the side of the latter member, and means operable to tilt said latter member relative to the other member and thereby facilitate movement of the belt from its driving position to an inactive position on said idling means.

7. The subject matter included in claim 6, and wherein each of said members has a shaft secured thereto to provide its axis of rotation, while one of the shafts provides part of the control means operated in tilting said shaft and its connected member relative to the other member and shaft to the inoperative position.

8. In a clutch device arranged and constructed to carry a belt thereon, the improvement which comprises a pair of rotary members mounted to have their axes of rotation in alinement during operation of the device, idling means for receiving and supporting the belt in the inoperative position of the device, and control means including a tiltable shaft connected to one of said pair of rotary members whereby this member is tilted on the other member to induce movement of the belt from its operative to its inoperative position.

FLOYD E. MINER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 867,466 Bailey Oct. 1, 1907 1,264,742 Aldrich Apr. 30, 1918 2,180,065 O'Brien Nov. 14, 1939 2,180,217 Thomas Nov. 14, 1939 2,209,736 Livingston July 30, 1940 

